The present invention relates to systems and methods for organizing and priming an intravenous (IV) administration set, as commonly used in the medical and infusion therapy fields. An IV administration set is used to deliver to or retrieve from a patient a fluid, such as blood, a medicament, a nutritional supplement, or a solution.
The IV set generally includes a section of intravenous tubing having a first end for accessing a fluid reservoir, and a second or terminal end adapted for insertion into the patient. The IV set may further include various components positioned along the section of intravenous tubing. These components are designed to control the flow of or treat the fluid within the IV set during the infusion process. For example, the IV components may include clamps, filters, chambers, access ports, stopcocks, valves, pumps, monitors, or centrifuges. Additionally, the IV set may include multiple sections or lines of intravenous tubing. Each of these components provide a desired function to the IV set and require precise organization and priming for optimal use.
An IV administration set usually ranges from 40 to 110 inches in length and comes rolled up in a packaging material. The process for preparing an IV set for use requires a clinician or user to first open the package and locate the ends of the set. Current packaging techniques typically require the user to unroll and untangle the IV set during this process. In addition to the overall length of the IV set, the various geometries and shapes of the IV components provide a plurality of surfaces that commonly entangle and catch on one another. The process of untangling the IV set will commonly result in portions of the IV set touching the ground or other unsanitary surfaces.
Once the IV set is organized and the ends located, the user must prime the intravenous tubing and components of the IV set. The process of priming ensures that any air within the IV system is purged and replaced with a priming solution prior to connecting the IV set to a patient. Thorough priming of the IV set is required for optimal performance of the IV set. The process of priming the IV set first requires the user to attach the terminal end of the set to any extension set, stopcock, or other addition component desired. The user then engages a clamp to occlude flow of fluid in the set, for example a roller clamp, a slide clamp, or a pinch clamp. The user then inserts the first end or the spike into an IV bag or fluid reservoir. At this point the user primes a drip chamber of the IV set and releases the clamp to initiate flow through the IV set.
As the fluid flows through the IV set certain areas of the IV set commonly entrap air bubbles. Entrapped air within the IV set is undesirable for many reasons. For example, some IV components rely on the absence of air to perform properly. Additionally, the presence of air may occlude or otherwise prevent proper flow of the fluid through the IV set. Entrapped air may also unexpectedly dislodge during the infusion process and enter the circulatory system of the patient, causing undesirable complications, including a stroke or death.
Entrapped air may be dislodged during the priming process by tapping portions of the IV set while allowing the fluid to continue to flow though the IV set and into a trash can or sink. The tapping forces the bubbles into the flow of fluid and out of the terminal end. In addition to wasting the fluid, the terminal end commonly contacts the unsanitary surfaces of the trash can or the sink leading to contamination of the IV set.
Thus, while techniques currently exist that are used for organizing and priming an IV administration set, challenges still exist. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.